Picture it... Jamaica... 12:30 at night.I had just finished watching a movie and proceeded upstairs to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. I turned on the bathroom light and as I turned to step inside, a roach the size of a NYC rat (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit) met me at the door. We were both frightened and scurried around, trying not to touch one another. He then jumped on the door and disappeared. I had never seen a roach move so fast. When I found him again (you would think I'd just brush my teeth and leave), he was on the front of the door, near the crease. My hope was that he would move into the crease and I'd close the door and kill him... Wishful thinking.Of course, all this is happening and I'm the only one awake. So I have to be quiet and make sure I don't wake up everyone. Once I realized he was settled at the door, I brushed my teeth for 20 secs, did whatever else, and crept out the door hoping he wouldn't attack from behind. I made it to my room safely. But I wasn't feeling well and had to return to the bathroom. It was an internal struggle as Me said stay and suffer through the night, but I said that we're bigger than a stupid roach. Myself and Me listened to I, and the three of us returned to the bathroom. The plan this time was to wear slippers. This way we could stomp him, if he was on the floor. We returned to the bathroom and turned the light on - no sign of the roach. Then I pushed the door and he crept over the top. I took off a slipper and tried to swat him, but he ran back over the top of the door. He then returned, and as I tried to swat him..... HE SPREAD HIS WINGS AND STARTED TO FLY!!! I couldn't scream because everyone was sleeping, but let me tell you how Me, Myself and I all had mini heart attacks. We returned to our room, closed the door and called it a night.Like the roach, we are sometimes faced with obstacles that appear bigger than we are. People who try to intimidate us and knock us around. But we have wings of virtue, faith, patience and love, that will take us through any obstacle and make us victorious. Just like the roach, we may retreat to stay alive, but we don't have to surrender.
So yesterday was Singles Awareness Day, or as others like to call it Valentine's Day. To each his own, call it what you please. I don't have an issue with the day per say, but more so how people treat others on that day. 364 days of the year, your love towards someone may be suspect (questionable), but for one day it's an all out show. Not cool! The only thing worse, is that some of us spend one day loving someone and 365 days neglecting ourselves. Above all else, our own happiness should be at the top of the list. It is not possible for us to show true care and affection towards someone else, when we neglect our own desires. Whether single, married or on the fence of indecision, you come first!! True love first starts on the inside, so clean up the house before moving on to the lawn. And remember, no matter your status, there's half-priced candy for everyone.
Last week I was traveling on a Coaster bus (a form of public transportation that is used in Jamaica) after spending some time with my grandma. I got the last seat on the bus, which meant I was sitting next to the driver with my back to the windshield and facing the other passengers. (Please don't tell my mom, or she's going to send me money to take the Jamaican version of Greyhound).Anyhow, as we went along the driver decides that he isn't going to travel on the new highway, but take the old winding road through the mountains. No big deal to me, I'm just enjoying the view. As we travel, with the driver going at a more than necessary speed, we rock from side to side. I look up and see someone in the back grabbing on to the overhead luggage rack. I immediately start to laugh on the inside, saying to myself that this person is obviously not accustomed to the ride. If they were, they would just rock like the rest of us. Honestly, I was just hoping the guy didn't get motion sickness.But here's the moral... He held onto something that he felt would keep him safe, during a time he didn't feel safe. Sometimes we end up in situations that leave us scared and grasping for something to hold on to. Our time in that situation may not be long, but while we are going through it, we are just hoping it will end. The moment we see something familiar or things appear to return to normal, we again start to relax and loosen our grip. While going through your time of disbelief, hold on to that thing, that person, those words that bring your comfort. The ride may be rough for awhile, but eventually you'll be able to let go and enjoy the view.
Friday was the last official day of the school year. It was also graduation day, which meant there were a lot of tears from graduates and smiles from the teachers. Another set of students have completed their high school journey, and are now being sent into the real world. Most will be starting college in the Fall, with a few going into the military or the job force. Either way, they will all be starting something new. I'm sure if you asked these recent graduates, they would tell you that their senior year went really fast. They thought they had time to get everything done, but that time quickly passed them by. How often do we enter situations thinking we have forever or it will take forever, only to have time quickly pass us by and nothing is accomplished? We then end up wishing we had more time, or had taken better advantage of the time we had. Everyone of us have the same 24 hours in a day. Do your best to make that time count.
A friend of mine just posted on Facebook, an article for a study, stating (black) women with natural hair have low self-esteem. I won't go into the details, you can check it outhere if you would like. As a "naturalista," for the better part of my life, I have experienced my share of inconsiderate and unnecessary remarks, from others. However, it is a choice that I have made, and stand proudly behind. Say what you want, my only job is to make sure that I am happy with the way I look. Too often in life, we allow the remarks and actions of others to determine how we feel. Whether it's a remark about hair, figure, stature or character, never allow yourself to get caught up in the beliefs of another. Be smart, be determined, be beautiful, be honest, BE YOU!!
We usually use a ruler when we want to measure the length of something. We then choose the type of ruler that we will use, based on what it is that we are measuring. For example, if we are measuring a bed, we would use a ruler that specifies inches and feet. If we are measuring a flower, we may use a ruler that measures in centimeters, in order to get a more accurate reading. The same thing applies to us. We know the ruler that is needed to accurately measure our worth. It is therefore not wise, to allow someone else to use their measuring stick on us. They may not use the correct ruler, which will lead to a false reading. Never allow someone else to shortchange you on your worth. Your hold the ruler, you know your value.
For quite a few years, a friend of mine has had a vision, of hosting her own children's science show. Similar to Bill Nye, the Science Guy, only she's cuter and... well female. She believes there is a lack of focus on women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields and wants to help children, especially young girls, realize that science is fun and open to them. When she first pitched the idea to me, I thought it was cool (I strongly believe in supporting other's dreams) and different. Of course obstacles presented themselves and she started to wonder if this thing could actually happen. We talked and she wondered; and we talked some more and she doubted some more. But through it all, she held on to her dream. Today, her show isn't nationally syndicated or anything, but she is slowly inching forward. Last year this time, neither one of us thought she would be doing what she is doing - having booths at science fairs and shows, filming at NASA, and having zoos and museums call her to tape a show. She still has a long way to go, but what looked like a permanent downfall last year, is starting to slip into the temporary slot. Whatever it is that you choose to do, go for it. Know that the struggle may seem like a black hole, but if you continue to climb you'll see the light at the mouth of the opening. Life is what you make it, so make sure it counts. *Check out my friend Cat Bobino's science show here.
